TACOMA—
A senseless double murder almost eight years ago: A teen girl, and five year old boy, gunned down on Thanksgiving night.Tacoma police are hoping you recognize the unique clue used by the accused killer that night.
Washington's Most Wanted's Parella Lewis unravels this unsolved murder mystery.
Det. Brian Vold with the Tacoma Police Department's on the case, and brought Parella to the home where it happened. "Best we can tell is he went right up into this close area, this window, and fired right into the window and through the wall. The victims were seated just below the window."
On thanksgiving night back in 2002, the house on S. 75th St. in Tacoma was filled with family and friends. "There were probably 10-12 people in the actual room and then additional people upstairs, probably 20-25 people in the house."
After dinner, several of them gathered in the basement to watch TV. Just after 10pm, someone took aim. "A subject approached this window, the curtains were closed. The suspect proceeded to fire multiple shots through the window into the wall, striking 4 people inside."
Two people were injured. Two people were killed: 19 year old Kimberly Riley, and 5 year old Jeremy Britt-Bayinthavong. "The female who's deceased, her brother was friends of the family and he invited her down for Thanksgiving gathering. The 5 year old who died, this was his grandfather's house at the time of the incident."
After the shots were fired, one neighbor saw a man running away from the house. "Witnesses saw a lone subject with dark hair and a puffy jacket, run away from the window and run around to the corner of the house southbound on "l" street."
Another witness saw a suspicious truck racing down the street: - Ford pickup truck - Brown to dark colored - 70's to late 80's - White canopy with white letters on tailgate spelling "FORD"
Authorities believe the suspect ran down the side of the house, got into the truck, fled westbound with its lights off in the dark and in the fog, which is one of a couple reasons authorities want to find that truck.
Det. Vold tells us the most disturbing part of the case. "What's most troubling about this is they didn't care who they shot as long as they sent the message. The person that may have been the ultimate goal was in the house, but that isn't the person they shot. They shot four innocent people who have no criminal background, no trouble in their life, they were just seated at the wrong place at the wrong time."
Tacoma police don't know whether the truck was borrowed, or whether it actually belonged to the suspect, but it's so unusual that they're hoping someone recognizes it and finally comes forward.
"There are people out there who have knowledge of this, there's no doubt that there are people who could at least lend some information as to this vehicle involved, or the weapon involved. It's just a matter of them picking up the phone and calling."
The families of both Kimberly Riley and Jeremy Britt-Bayinthavong are offering a $25,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and indictment of the killer behind these senseless murders.
If you know anything at all that may help police, call: Crime Stoppers: 1-800-222-TIPS
